More than a quarter (28%) of HR manager respondents in New Zealand are conducting salary audits to help close the gender pay gap in their organisation, according to research by Robert Half.
Its survey of 100 HR managers in New Zealand also found that 30% of respondents are implementing pay transparency within their organisations as a measure to close the gender pay gap.
According to New Zealand's Ministry for Women, there was a 12% gender pay gap in the country in 2016, based on the median hourly earnings of women and men in full and part-time work.
The research also found:
- 82% of respondents acknowledge a difference in salaries across genders in their organisation.
- 97% of respondents are actively working to close their organisation’s gender pay gap.
- 30% of respondents plan to close the gender pay gap by implementing a system where promotions are linked to fixed pay rises.
- 27% of respondents are monitoring promotions and pay rises in a bid to tackle their organisation’s gender pay gap.
- 19% of respondents are eliminating salary negotiations when starting a job.
- 12% of respondents are openly discussing salary setting, pay rises and bonuses within the organisation in order to address any gender pay gaps.
- 3% of respondents are not taking any measures to address the gender pay gap.
Megan Alexander, general manager at Robert Half New Zealand, said: “It is encouraging to see Kiwi [organisations] taking measures aimed at closing any salary gaps within their organisation. This approach not only enhances [an organisation’s] reputation for ethical business practices, it can also lead to greater productivity as competitive and fair remuneration policies can underpin enhanced staff performance.
“[Organisations] who take measures to close any pay discrepancies are well-placed to promote themselves as a fair and attractive place to work. but it’s not just about attracting quality talent. An encompassing approach where staff are [rewarded] fairly and uniformly on the basis of their contribution to the [organisation], and not in line with gender, is also critical to a strong retention rate.”
